How can people still defend the EU? I read that link about MEP's expenses and it's horrific that a public servant can spend over 100,000 euros per year without any accountability. Then a European court backs up their right to secrecy saying their privacy can't be undermined! What you do in public office has to be open to scrutiny. If Westminster behaved in such a way...well imagine the uproar on here. The WAG too has tried to hide things and there's been uproar but the EU do it and people say nothing? 249 ghost ofices, MEP's admitting they give money from expenses to their national party (against EU rules) and charity donations? How can anyone know how far the rule breaking goes without transparency scrutiny? Then people wonder why brexiteers doesn't want any ECJ interference in the UK.

How can people still defend the EU? I read that link about MEP's expenses and it's horrific that a public servant can spend over 100,000 euros per year without any accountability. Then a European court backs up their right to secrecy saying their privacy can't be undermined! What you do in public office has to be open to scrutiny. If Westminster behaved in such a way...well imagine the uproar on here. The WAG too has tried to hide things and there's been uproar but the EU do it and people say nothing? 249 ghost ofices, MEP's admitting they give money from expenses to their national party (against EU rules) and charity donations? How can anyone know how far the rule breaking goes without transparency scrutiny? Then people wonder why brexiteers doesn't want any ECJ interference in the UK.

People aren't saying nothing though, including many MEPs who think it's wrong. It can be changed.

People aren't saying nothing though, including many MEPs who think it's wrong. It can be changed.

There are a few MEP's who have spoken up, the majority though continue to reap the worst excesses of the gravy train. For all the comments on here rebutting any anti EU post, there's been pretty much silence on this. The worst thing is, people claim the EU is a democracy but how can you rely on the MEP's when it looks like they are bought and paid for? I know the Westminster expenses scandal was a cover up and nothing much has changed, a few scapegoats were thrown to the wolves but the pigs are still snuffling away otherwise, but at least an FOI request gets the information. In the EU the secrecy around finances should have everyone worried, not least because they fail their own audit every year.

There are a few MEP's who have spoken up, the majority though continue to reap the worst excesses of the gravy train. For all the comments on here rebutting any anti EU post, there's been pretty much silence on this. The worst thing is, people claim the EU is a democracy but how can you rely on the MEP's when it looks like they are bought and paid for? I know the Westminster expenses scandal was a cover up and nothing much has changed, a few scapegoats were thrown to the wolves but the pigs are still snuffling away otherwise, but at least an FOI request gets the information. In the EU the secrecy around finances should have everyone worried, not least because they fail their own audit every year.

Agree it’s unacceptable. I’ve never understood this expenses nonsense. They should be paid a salary and that’s that. Should be a basic principle everywhere, including local councils. If you want to reform something you can only do so from within though. Shouting from the rooftops from outside will get you nowhere.

Agree it’s unacceptable. I’ve never understood this expenses nonsense. They should be paid a salary and that’s that. Should be a basic principle everywhere, including local councils. If you want to reform something you can only do so from within though. Shouting from the rooftops from outside will get you nowhere.

The expenses being shared has been rejected numerous times. There is no chance of reform with that lot. You’re off your head if you think otherwise. It’s rotten to the core. We won’t need to shout from the rooftops when we are out.

The expenses being shared has been rejected numerous times. There is no chance of reform with that lot. You’re off your head if you think otherwise. It’s rotten to the core. We won’t need to shout from the rooftops when we are out.

Nothing to do with toys and pram at all, when you can't get honesty, when you can't reform something that's so obviously wrong then leaving is a better option. Would you continue to use a club where you are told to pay for things you don't get an invoice for? Hello Mr & Mrs UK, you'll never see what it's actually spent on but we want your share of over £40 million, now.....is that right or fair?

When did the elctorate give Labour a mandate to negotiate with the EU? Loathe them or love them, the government has the mandate. Corbyn, Starmer, Cable or anybody not in government has no business telling the EU how they would do things or what should be happening, it undermines our position. It's already a hard enough job and possibly being fubarred without people adding to the mess. Was it yesterday a Sky poll said only 22% thought him competent to negotiate Brexit with 71% saying he's incompetent. As much as you can ever believe a poll.

Nothing to do with toys and pram at all, when you can't get honesty, when you can't reform something that's so obviously wrong then leaving is a better option. Would you continue to use a club where you are told to pay for things you don't get an invoice for? Hello Mr & Mrs UK, you'll never see what it's actually spent on but we want your share of over £40 million, now.....is that right or fair?

Of course it can be reformed if the will is there. Would you be surprised if I told you that British Conservative MEP’s voted AGAINST the amendment calling for transparency! Fact.

Of course it can be reformed if the will is there. Would you be surprised if I told you that British Conservative MEP’s voted AGAINST the amendment calling for transparency! Fact.

[Post edited 26 Sep 2018 9:23]

Who’s going to reform it? The unelected leaders? The Eu courts? Doing a great job so far aren’t they, yesterday was a fine example of how they corrupt the whole thing is. If the Remainers were to get their way and the U.K. crawled back with their tail between their legs, do you think we’d have any power at all anymore? They’d be laughing at us. They know we’d never leave and would just ignore anything we had to say, they’d never take us serious again. You need to wake up.

Agree it’s unacceptable. I’ve never understood this expenses nonsense. They should be paid a salary and that’s that. Should be a basic principle everywhere, including local councils. If you want to reform something you can only do so from within though. Shouting from the rooftops from outside will get you nowhere.

there's an argument MP's should be paid a lot more than they are.

On current evidence the salary offered is not sufficient to attract people of sufficient calibre.

Of course it can be reformed if the will is there. Would you be surprised if I told you that British Conservative MEP’s voted AGAINST the amendment calling for transparency! Fact.

[Post edited 26 Sep 2018 9:23]

If the will is there.......isn't that the point, the will isn't there. Only a few MEP's think the system is wrong, the majority aren't going to vote for (effectively) a pay cut of around 50% and who would? The Commission and Presidents don't want change, they are part of the gravy train, they designed it and benefit from it. The European courts see nothing wrong with the absurd levels of secrecy either, how can we trust the ECJ when it doesn't believe in transparency for it's government. For aEuro court to say that MEP's spending of public finds is a private matter and we can't invade their privacy, well it's scandalous. No I'm not surprised Tory MEP's voted against, why would I be? Pigs in troughs all of them. Although it says here a 15 member bureau voted down the changes, not sure how many Tories were in there,

Who’s going to reform it? The unelected leaders? The Eu courts? Doing a great job so far aren’t they, yesterday was a fine example of how they corrupt the whole thing is. If the Remainers were to get their way and the U.K. crawled back with their tail between their legs, do you think we’d have any power at all anymore? They’d be laughing at us. They know we’d never leave and would just ignore anything we had to say, they’d never take us serious again. You need to wake up.

[Post edited 26 Sep 2018 9:43]

I’m sure the UK would be taken more seriously if it wasn’t represented by a bunch of clowns who act as if the Empire still existed and Britannia still ruled two thirds of the world. Brexit is a proper Eton mess.